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French press review 14 October 2017

Donald trump confirms reputation as deal breaker after walking out of UNESCO and the nuclear weapons treaty with Iran and there is anxiety in Europe as time runs out to resolve Catalonia's independence crisis.

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US President Donald Trump's decision to leaveUNESCO and threats to pull out of the 2015 Iran nuclear weapons deal, "at any time", sent the French commentators screaming again about the erratic ways of the White House tenant, who on top of his America First doctrine is turning into a "great deal breaker".

That, at least, is the opinion upheld by La République des Pyrénées. The paper holds that after raising tensions with North Korea, Trump was keen on doing the same with Iran.

In the words of the publication, this constitutes a new phase in Trump’s "rejection of multilateralism", after his stance against the Paris Climate Accords and the Transpacific Accord negotiated by his predecessor with China and South East Pacific nations.

The paper asks "where the new American leader is headed".

According to Le Monde, by turning a deaf ear to appeals for restraint by Washington’s staunchest allies, Donald Trump simply confirmed that he is "a symbol of the ungrateful America".

Le Figaro argues that irrespective of the deficiencies international treaties may have, deals like the 5+1 accord with Iran are "essential in promoting understanding among nations".

“It will be a grave error to thrown the treaty into the bin”, says Le Figaro, warning that scrapping it would produce an adverse effect -- "freeing Teheran's hand" to continue Iran’s uranium enrichment program. This, while the international consensus on containing nuclear proliferation will be broken.

Some French papers continue to monitor the deep constitutional crisis in Spain, where the President of the Catalan region, Carles Puigdemont, solemnly accepted a mandate to lead an independent state", after last week’s self-determination referendum.

Le Figaro takes note of Puigdemont's decision to "immediately suspend the declaration, in order to go more time for talks with Madrid".

The drive for independence has sent dozens of businesses fleeing the region which accounts for one fifth of Spain's GDP.

According to Le Figaro, the EU Commission’s President Jean Claude Juncker was quick in voicing strong opposition to the Catalans’ plan which in his words could lead to the 27- member EU block breaking up into 98 countries.

Ouest-France claims that the back and forth movements, reversals and U-turns witnessed in Catalonia underscore one thing the fragility of Western democracies.

For La Presse de la Manche, time is running out and the ball is in Carles Puigdemont's court. This is as he faces a week-long deadline set by Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy “to clarify his stance or face the suspension by Madrid of Catalonia's regional autonomy”.

The paper holds that the dilemma facing the Catalan separatists in their stand-off  with Madrid will have far-reaching consequences, not just for the Spanish people  but also for the European Union which is also in search of its equilibrium and real governing majorities.

Pope Francis is the pinup star in today's Le Parisien as the paper salutes his unprecedented efforts to shake up the Catholic Church.

In the three-page supplement the publication explores how the Holy Pontiff’s direct style and blunt statements about poverty, Islam and the reception of migrants coupled with an outright rejection of visible signs of affluence left mainstream Catholics have taken mainstream Catholics by surprise.

Le Parisien says that manner in which he has gone breaking age-long codes respected by his predecessors, has made him even more popular with atheists than with Catholics.

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